Types of Phone Cable Tools

There are two main types of phone cables: the standard copper wire phone cable and the fiber-optic glass phone cable. Each type of phone cable requires the use of different tools as well as the use of standard phone cable tools.

Fiber-Optic Tools

Fiber-optic cable features glass that acts as phone wires. The tools used on fiber-optic cable are specialized tools. Some of the tools required to work on fiber-optic cables include a cutting tool, a splicing tool and a cleaning tool. The cutting tool must cut the glass without breaking or damaging the glass. The splicing tool used must melt the glass together to close off the cable without causing the signal to be interrupted. The cleaning tool used to clean the fiber-optic cable is designed to buff clean the end of the cable. Most tools needed for fiber-optic cable are available in a kit.

Phone Cable Tools

Phone cables are made of copper wires and only require a basic set of tools. Some of the tools used to work on phone cables are stripers, wire cutters, crimping tools and connectors.  Phone cable installers also carry drills, drill bits, screwdrivers, tape measures and hammers.

Phone Cable Testing Tools

Phone cable testing tools are the tools used to check a phone line. A tester is a tool that features phone jacks that are used to connect phone cables to in order to determine if there are interruptions in the signal and where the interruptions are located. The tester also features a digital display screen that shows the phone technician what the interruption is and where it is located in the form of an error code or a graph.